Buying an used GPSMAP 60Cx today

I am planning on buying my first GPS unit, mainly for tracing roads to contribute to OpenStreetMap and for geocaching, especially hiding them. I wanted a unit with good reception even deep in the woods and that I could plug in my laptop and mark waypoints from the computer (from what I understood I woud need a unit with a serial interface and NMEA support; is it possible to be done with USB?).

First, I considered Garmin eTrex 10 for being the cheapest, but it seemed to be too basic and not practical to use because of not having many buttons (am I talking nonsense?); besides, not having an antenna like some other more advanced models makes it feel like its not as precise or powerful (again, is this nonsense?). But something like a GPSMap 64st is too expensive for my budget. So I went to look for used GPS units in a classifieds site, and I found a deal on a "like new" GPSMap 60Cx, that apparently was used just two times and in a boat. I would pay basically half of what I would pay in a new 64s or a third of a 64st, and not much more than on a new eTrex 10. It seems to be in a very good to perfect condition, and to be a good device—I only read good reviews. And, from what I saw in some comparison charts, in terms of specifications, it is not that much inferior to a current model like 64s.

What I wonder is: is it worth buying a device that is so old? I mean, this model has like 10 years now, right? Will I be missing too much? How much time is it supposed to last?

First, I considered Garmin eTrex 10 for being the cheapest, but it seemed to be too basic and not practical to use because of not having many buttons

Personally, there is one important reason I would never buy an eTrex 10: it does not have an option to place maps on a memory card. Therefore you're very restricted in the size of the map you can use. Mind you: the storage space available in the internal memory of the eTrex 10 is only 8 MB!!!

I have an Oregon 450 and a GPSmap 64s, but use them mainly for testing purposes and have hardly done any "field work" with them. I would therefore not be in a proper position to comment on pros and cons.

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I have a 60CSx since many years and have recently bought a 64s.
The 60 CSx is an excellent gps in my opinion, the only extras with the 64s is that it can use raster maps and that it can handle many maps in separate files while the 60CSx only can use one gmapsupp.img file. So to use more than one map in the gps you need to learn how to use some tools like GMapTool or MapInstall etc.
The 64s is faster when drawing detiled maps at zoomed out views I noticed and it has Glonass for what it is worth.

I also noticed that the 64s seems do use more battery power than the 60CSx, feels as the battery time is twice as long in the 60 CSx than in the 64s.

The 64 series is already Glonass. You can see the currently 62 series.

Do you think that having GLONASS makes that much of a difference? I found a refurbished 64s for 300 CAD and there is also that used 60Cx (no sensors) for 190 CAD. I still can't decide. 300 CAD is a lot of money...

The GPSMAP 60CSx is a good GPS. It works well. I have two of them.
If you buy one try and get the one with the SiRF chipset. At the end of the production run of these units Garmin substituted the MediaTek Chipset.
You can get this info from a 60CSX by entering MENU>MENU>SETUP>SYSTEM>MENU. Choose "Software Version". The differences are as follows:
Chipset > MediaTek / SiRF
Software ver. 4.20 / 4.00
GPS SW ver. 2.40m / 3.00s
In a side by side comparison I found that the MediaTek chipset had communication problem with some older Garmin software.

GLONASS is useless. Only rather more quickly to start. But most time the precision of location have more accuracy if GLONASS is turn off. IMHO. Even in Russia...
The latest modification of GPSMAP 60 CSx with MTK chipset was the very quickly for positioning and for map drawing. But it is too much limited for map compatibility also. You can look in side of used etrex Vista HCx with MTK chipset too. It do not have keyboard on front panel but it do not concede GPSMAP 60 CSx in all. New eTrex series with mapping is not bad too but its is cheaper than GPSMAP. If you want a serial interface and NMEA support the best choice is GPSMAP 78 among new devices or it is GPSMAP 60 CSx or 76 CSx as fact.

Love your wife? Buy yourself a GPS for answering to her favorite question: "Dear, where are you?".

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